Strike Averted…Faculty Accept College Offer

The Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) has just confirmed officially that Ontario’s full-time academic staff have voted 51.45% to accept the colleges’ final offer.  With the majority of faculty voting to accept the offer the threat of a province-wide strike is now gone.

“The most important task ahead for both the colleges and the faculty will be to put any remaining issues and feelings behind them and get back to focusing on providing students and Ontarians with the education and training needed to prosper in today’s knowledge-based economy,” says Justin Fox, President of the College Student Alliance.

The final vote count was 4473 voted to accept and 4221 voted to reject.

Click here to read the detailed final offer that was accepted by the faculty.

Bargaining Overview

Under the new Colleges Collective Bargaining Act (CCBA), 2008 bargaining between the College Compensation and Appointments Council (the Council) and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) would begin 90 days prior to the end of a collective agreement.

With the full-time academic staff’s (full-time teachers, Counsellors, Librarians and partial load teachers) collective agreement expiring on August 31, 2009, bargaining began in June of 2009.  Both sides met throughout the summer in an effort to reach a new agreement, but unfortunately, both sides could not find enough common ground on the major issues of a new agreement (e.g. financial and workload).  After a mandated month long recess during September, by the Ministry of Labour appointed conciliator, both sides went back to the table in October with the hope of reaching a new deal.

SML (Strike My Life)

Do you have something to say about the potential strike at Ontario’s colleges?  If so, tweet your thoughts, comments, frustrations, etc. to @strikemylife.